VIJAYAWADA: With 30 prisoners at Rajahmundry Central Prison, and another seven at Kurnool district jail testing positive for Covid-19 over the past week, Prisons and Correctional Services director general (DG) Mohammad Ahsan Reza on Wednesday sounded an alert, and instructed all jail superintendents and officials to strictly implement safety protocols. DG Reza said mulaqat of the inmates with their family members has been stopped in the wake of two recent incidents when a large number of inmates got infected with coronavirus. The prisoners are allowed to talk to their family members over phone three times a week.
However, the officials said the situation inside the jails is not as bad and said that instructions were given to take steps only to contain the further spread of the virus, and ensure a healthy environment to the inmates. According to the Inspector General (IG), Prisons and Correctional Services, G Jayavardhan, not more than 50 prisoners in various jails were detected with coronavirus, and all infectees were under isolation. “Around 7,000 prisoners are serving jail terms in 79 prisons--which include four central jails, eight district jails, ten special sub jails, two women special prisons, and 55 subjails-- in the state.”
The IG also said the prisoners who are supposed to appear for court hearings are being produced before the judge online (virtual court proceedings) as there are high chances of them getting infected and spread the virus among the jail staff. Also, instructions were given to all ground-level staff to alert higher-ups if they found any prisoner suffering from any symptom of coronavirus. “We successfully controlled the situation during the first wave of coronavirus last year, and are going to implement the same measures this time too,” IG Jayavardhan added. He also said the prisoners who tested positive in Rajahmundry and Kurnool prisons were admitted to government hospitals and treated separately. “As a precautionary measure, all jail staff have been asked to undergo Covid-19 testing and report if anyone tests positive,” he added.